Newbie with TFP - Test results

Jump to latest Follow Reply
B

bdare

0
Feb 26, 2013
30
Rockwall, TX
Received my TFT-100 yesterday. Been relying on store tests until today. I live in Dallas so we've had a lot of rain yesterday and my salt cell have been off. I have family coming to visit at the end of the month and I need to get the pool ready.

Here are my numbers:
CH - 475
TC - 1
TA - 90
CYA - 20

Ph was showing 8.2. I added about half a gallon of acid waited about 20 mins while brushing the sides and bottom and tested again on the opposite side of the pool. Ph measured 6.8. Not sure if I didn't wait long enough to test or I added too much acid.

Please help me get TFP balanced!

Thanks,
Ben


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Hi Ben, and welcome to TFP if I haven't said so.

Have you read up in pool school, starting with the ABC's and suggested levels?

Please break your Chlorine out in FC and CC using the FAS DPD test. Was that one with the yellow on the pH block?

pH needs to be below 7.8, Cya needs to come up quite a lot for a SWG.

How does the water look right now?
 
I did the FAS DPD test. FC was 1 and CC 0. Sorry. Assumed I could just post the one... Lesson learned :)

Water looks ok. Not great perhaps a very slight green tint.

Do you think I added too much acid or just test too soon after adding? I'm a bit concerned it dropped so low.

It looks like my Calcium is too high. Should I try to get it lower or leave it?

The pool store told me not to worry about CYA (don't hurt me) because it's too cold and the sun is not high enough.

I turned the salt cell on. Has been off because it's been so cold here. Water temp reading 56.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I appreciate the pool school references. I can assure you I've read them a few times. Most of what I got from them are the recommended levels.

I suppose since I'm new and no longer taking the advise of the local pool store I'm look g for advice on how to get started from where I'm at. Do I need to adjust one thing before the next?

I dosed acid based on previous suggestions from the store....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Part of the problem is that you don't know the exact size of your pool. Whatever volume you used to calculate the acid dose was too high. Lower it a thousand gallons next time and see if you undershoot or overshoot and keep repeating. You'll soon figure out what your volume is. If you study poolmath, you'll even be able to see The Effects of Adding Chemicals down at the bottom. That can help doublecheck things. Also note, you do need to know the TA when calculating pH adjustments.

6.8 isn't too bad. You won't damage anything and it will rise naturally in a few days anyway.

I would manually dose it with bleach to about 10, do your mixing, and retest it after the sun goes down. Do the overnight loss test. If you pass, great. If not, you have a day's head start on the SLAM process. Once the water's looking clear, then raise the CYA and fire off the SWG.

If you drain and refill to lower CH, you'll also lose CYA and salt. 475 is easily managed. I'd leave that for now and concentrate on just getting the water sparkling.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Higher TA resists changes to pH from external sources, but it doesn't affect testing. The only place TA affects the result of other tests is in the acid/base demand tests, but those are ones you normally don't use (they aren't in the TFTestkits TF-100, but are in the Taylor K-2006).
 
bdare said:
I understand TA effects Ph, but how is it relevant when testing?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Generally speaking, the higher the TA, the more resistant pH is to movement, so you would need more acid to lower pH by a given value. If your TA is low, your pH is more susceptible to wild swings. This is a simplification, but should help illustrate the concept.

Does that help?
 
Smykowski said:
Generally speaking, the higher the TA, the more resistant pH is to movement, so you would need more acid to lower pH by a given value. If your TA is low, your pH is more susceptible to wild swings. This is a simplification, but should help illustrate the concept.

Does that help?
Click to expand...

Yes. I've got that part down pat was well as how airation effects ph etc. I've kept salt water reef tanks for over 10 years and managing alk and ph are crucial for the inhabitants and coral health.

I was more confused on how alk could effect the outcome of a test. In my mind It is what it is at the time of the test.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
If you can keep reefs alive, you can do this. Still, if most of what you are getting from pool school are suggested levels, you're missing the boat. It is MOST important to understand the Cya/Free chlorine relationship. It is by far the most common problem people have and bring here. Not understanding that. I would SLAM it now, and get that done. Once you complete that, you can work down the other items. This is really easy once you get the fundamentals.

Lastly, TA is important for pools, but it is more important to focus on, and keep up with pH first. Another common problem people have is getting distracted with TA. It is important, but not critical as it is in a reef tank.
 
Thanks everyone for all the useful information. Working on a SLAM plan. Figured the first step was to add stabilizer so I just added 4lbs of dry in pantyhose to my skimmer baskets.

Ph has gone up to 7.2.
TC holding tough at 1.

I also bought 2 gallons of bleach to add once CYA comes up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Patrick_B said:
Lastly, TA is important for pools, but it is more important to focus on, and keep up with pH first. Another common problem people have is getting distracted with TA. It is important, but not critical as it is in a reef tank.
Click to expand...

Since TA has such a big influence on pH wouldn't the first step be to get TA right? Seems it would be easier to manage pH once TA is correct.
 
If the TA is at ALL reasonable, then just keep the pH in line. If the TA is high, the act of keeping the pH down will lower the TA.

The only time you may want to adjust the TA first is if it was much too low (< 50ppm).
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply